Layout

[WeeGarden]

This is mine. I did no dig on a new allotment plot earlier this year, imported 4 tons of compost/topsoil mix because ground was just subsoil left by builders and topped with a thin layer of mushroom compost. Ive also included a play area for my 3 children, have put in a sandpit I got for cheap on FB marketplace. Paths and the play area is woodchip from a tree surgeon on weed membrane. I used cheap membrane on some areas and wish I hadn’t now - it’s disintegrating already so o would advise on the woven stuff over the fleecy type. Hope that helps!

[WeeGarden]

This is mine. I did no dig on a new allotment plot earlier this year, imported 4 tons of compost/topsoil mix because ground was just subsoil left by builders and topped with a thin layer of mushroom compost. Ive also included a play area for my 3 children, have put in a sandpit I got for cheap on FB marketplace. Paths and the play area is woodchip from a tree surgeon on weed membrane. They like to dig at the woodchip too. I used cheap membrane on some areas and wish I hadn’t now - it’s disintegrating already so o would advise on the woven stuff over the fleecy type. Hope that helps!

[MissPea]

Wow WeeGarden your plot looks very neat, thanks for the advice I was going to go down the membrane and woodchip paths so that could be helpful, just need to find the woodchips �� I actually have a sandpit in my shed that I was planning on using once I moved house but that seems like a better idea to use it there.

[bario1]

I've found a couple of issues with layout that might be worth your consideration before you start.
Firstly, if you are planning on a permanent bed and path type layout, think about how you're going to net your crops. I try to do a vague crop rotation, but really it just ends up being 'don't grow brassicas in the same place two years running' and the same for onions. However this leads to issues, as the 3x2m brassica cage i bought doesn't fit on any of my raised beds, so I've ended up just leaving a couple of large spaces open to accommodate it. I bought some aluminium hoops for netting my raised beds, but I should have made the beds to fit the hoops rather than the other way round, as they don't fit perfectly, so some space is wasted.
Sorry, this is a bit rambling! I'm just saying think about rotation and protection of crops when deciding on your layout... and if you like the idea of keyhole beds, remember that you'll have a hell of a job putting a net over those! I've got one, but it's got asparagus in it, so it'll never need netting.

[Jay-ell]

Rectangular beds are easier to net that other shapes. I use BLUE scaffold netting and the blue water pipes cut into 10ft lengths which is great for 4' wide beds. There's 5 lengths for the 8' beds, 8 for the 14' beds and canes are tied across the top to strengthen them.The scaffold netting is 3m wide so fits nicely.

Netting is used to keep birds off (e.g. peas, brassicas and strawberries), keep flies off (e.g. using a fine mesh like environmesh for carrot fly or onion fly) or providing a mini micro climate to boost plant growth. The same hoops could be used with horticultural fleece or with polythene sheeting to make mini greenhouses/cloches.

[MissPea]

Thanks for the advice I never actually considered it and I will need them. I seen a magpie watch me for a bit on the fence, convinced it was watching me so he could figure out where all the goodies were going to go.

[veggiechicken]

Rectangular beds don't have to be laid out conventionally. You could make them like a E or like the branches on a fir tree or diagonally across the bed.
I do "random" as straight lines and I don't work together.

[MissPea]

I’m over thinking it, I’m actually going insane. I don’t know where to put things
I get an idea and something throws me off it. I want two apple trees lots of raspberries (both summer and autumn) and Loganberry. Maybe some black currants too. 4 beds for veg, on a crop rotation a bed for strawberries and a little shed. (My dads going to buy me one for my birthday next week) I really don’t have a big allotment site where can I put the two trees? I’ve went over a million layouts and cannot make a final decision. Think it’s because I’ve never started from scratch like this, and want it to look great helllpp!

[veggiechicken]

Trees, sheds and tall things, including fruit bushes on the North/East side of the plot. Compost bins too.
Veggies and low stuff on south and west.

Apple trees don't have to be huge and there may be a height restriction on your site anyway.

Don't overthink it - you can swap things round next year when you've got to know the site conditions better. Just put the permanent stuff like the shed somewhere where it won't cast shade.

[MissPea]

It’s a very open site with sun (when it’s actually here) facing the plot. I was thinking one tree at the back but the very many weeds fighting to get through is putting me off that. And would it be best for the berry’s to go on the left or right side, again I was planning putting them across the back but getting to the weeds would prove difficult.

[Jay-ell]

Remember MissPea - where there's a will there's a way. You may want to get a couple of asprins and wrap a cold wet towel around your head before reading the next bit.





Why two trees - do you have specific varieties in mind? You can get patio trees which are on dwarf rootstocks. You can also get family trees which have multiple varities on one tree. There's ballarina trees which only grow a single stem and aren't too tall, although theres limited varieties with these.

You could train your trees to single cordons If I can fit 12 trees in 10x4 foot you should be able to squeeze in a couple.

If you had suitable support structures - such as a fence or a wall made out of pallets , you can stretch wires along these and train your trees as espaliers or grow the brambles tying them onto the wires.

You could even train apple trees to be step overs and use them to edge the beds/paths.
If I can fit 12 trees in 10x4 foot.

Apples could be trained to grow over an entrance arch (short armed espallier) or you can grow the brambles over the arch


OK - there is now the possibility that I've made your head explode.

All that above is to give you hope that even in a small space you can have fruit.

You could wait till next year to think about the trees and give yourself a chance to get used to the site and the sun so that you don't cast too much of a shadow on yours or your neighbours plot.

[MissPea]

Jay-ell I was thinking 2 as my plot is small, and most (some?) apples need two to cross pollinate. Not actually sure which kind yet, would like a dark red one but not sure which are tasty. Plus my children are obsessed with apples. I would like them on dwarf rootstock incase there are restrictions, it seems most apple trees are about 5-6ft around the plots. I originally wanted to train them along the back with the large wire fence helping but afraid the weeds would take over and don’t know how I’d keep them under control. I like the sound of the arch! I do have pallet fences on each side of the allotment if these were trained on these, which side would be best? I always over do everything and I want all the fruit haha but very aware of growing space so hesitant to start. I also want a nectarine tree but I think that’ll have to wait. Thanks for your help I’ll go have a look

[bario1]

You could lay a strip of 2m weed membrane at the back of the plot and plant trees through that - then you never have to worry about the weeds there again. I did that and it works a treat. I covered the membrane in woodchip to make it look a bit more natural.

[MissPea]

It’s more behind the fence coming through I’m worried about. There’s a ton of willow herb, brambles, couch grass, a big fern and I’ve even seen honeysuckle trying to come through to my plot, its meant to be an orchard ran by the council but no one seems to take care of it unfortunately.

[Jay-ell]

Heres a photo of of my arch with two Thornless Evergreen Blackberries growing on it.


I do, however, have another gate or two that I can get through when all the bees are a buzzin - or when I have a barrow load of manure. One thing about having the fruit on the front arch is that they can be too tempting to passers by (I expected this when I put them in - it's sort of a statement entrance) and because the arch is narrow I only let two canes per plant grow. Despite this I had a reasonable crop from them this year.

Fruit do best when they fer most sun so if you were training bushes on a fence it should be on the north side of the plot so that they face south.

This is a hedge of Gooseberries where the plants are pruned into a triple cordon - you get less fruit per plant this way but they can be grown along the edge of the plot without taking up too much space. Gooseberries can cope with shade. Red Currants and White currants can also be trained this way.


Your're right about some apples needing pollination partners and those that don't do better with one. Here's one of the family trees I was on about
https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/g...paign=campaign